Monday, September 2, 2013

[Note:
when I use the term “foreigner,” I mean people from outside of Thailand who
speak English fluently]

My daily life has
changed significantly from what it was when I first came to Ubon. In my first
two months, I didn’t have my own transportation, I was nervous to go around on
my own, I didn’t have any young foreign friends to talk to or hang out with,
and I essentially spent a lot
of time getting comfortable being on my own and finding entertainment in the
very, very little things in
life (example: going to Tesco to get groceries or doing laundry was labeled
“weekend activity” as opposed to “errand” or “chore”).

I am so thankful that
I was on my own for my first few months, because it really forced me to push
back against the boundaries of my comfort zone. I pushed myself to make friends
with Thai people, I learned some of the language, and I gained a lot of
confidence in simply going out and making things happen for myself that I
wanted to have happen. After all, I chose to come to Ubon—as opposed to a
foreigner hub like Bangkok or Chiang Mai—so I would be forced to get out on my
own and figure things out for myself. At first, I even shunned other young
foreigners and felt a bit territorial about Ubon. I didn’t want others to come,
let alone a slew of other young women who graduated from UVM just like me. I
wanted to avoid falling into that hole of only hanging out with people who only
looked and sounded like me. I used to think, Why do people go abroad only to hang
out with people who are from the same country as themselves? Doesn’t that kind
of defeat the purpose of living abroad?

On a weekend trip to Ayutthaya

Now, I understand. No,
it does not defeat the purpose of living abroad. No, it’s not “cheating”
somehow. The reason people do it is simple: in many countries—Thailand being
Exhibit A—if you didn’t interact with people who spoke your language, you
wouldn’t be able to have a deep conversation with anyone. Imagine, living without
the bread and butter of daily interaction! I did it for a while, and definitely
grew in some ways because of it, but luckily this is no longer a problem I
face. After my first few months, I was joined by a few other young foreigners,
then some more, and now there’s an awesome group of about 7 young foreigners
that I hang out with, and I absolutely love it.

It happens...

Having close friends
to go to a coffee shop with, to share dinner with, and to go out on the town
with has been awesome and refreshing. However, it goes beyond that; being able
to share an experience such as living abroad with people who I can identify
with on multiple levels has helped me process a lot of things about what I see
and experience in this culture, and also a lot of things about myself and how
I, as an individual, see and experience the world around me. I still highly
value the friendships I maintain with local folks, but it makes a big
difference to be able to converse with people who grew up in the same culture
as I did. I can react to discovering a boiled chicken foot in my soup or being
served pig colon, and people understand where I’m coming from; I can sympathize
with the exasperation of my vegetarian friends at being offered shrimp or fish
balls, again, as an
appropriate alternative to meat; and, importantly, I can express my frustration
with things in the Thai school system, and be perfectly understood.

I have come to see
that it’s important to interact with everyone, whether they’re from your
culture or not, and anyone
can help you to broaden your worldview, not just people from the other side of
the world. Sharing an experience like living abroad only serves to broaden and
deepen it, and I am so thankful for those who have shared, and will continue to
share, this experience with me.

What a great group! Here, at a floating restaurant on
a Saturday afternoon trip to a lake nearby Ubon.

About Me

I earned my Masters in Teaching from UVM in May 2012, which was the same month that I moved to Thailand to begin teaching. I teach in an English immersion program at a Thai school in Ubon Ratchathani, and here you will find the story of my life abroad.